The History of the Provinces of Paraguay, Tucuman, Rio de la Plata, Parana, Guaira and Urvaica, and something of the Kingdom of Chili in South America Written in Latin by F. Nicholas del Techo, Priest of the Society of Jesus.

Text, complete in itself, is extracted from CHURCHILL, AWNSHAM, and JOHN: A Collection of Voyages and Travels (vol IV,). Printed for Awnsham and John Churchill at the Black Swan in Paternoster-Row, London, 1704. With title-page and pages numbered 681-807.

Nicolas del Techo (born Nicolas du Toict) was a Jesuit humanist. His name was "Hispanicised" by his fellow Jesuits to Nicolas del Techo shortly after he was ordained in the Society of Jesus at the age of 19. He arrived in the Province of Paraguay (a region that then included parts of present-day Paraguay and Uruguay) in 1649 where he sought to convert the indigenous people (the Guarani Indians) to Christianity. He wrote (in Latin) a History of the Province of Paraguay (1673, Liege). Criticised for sometimes implausible narratives, possibly due to copying previous Jesuit chroniclers, del Techo provides details of the life and history of the Jesuit missions in Paraguay and information regarding the customs of the Guarani, as well as their interactions with the Jesuits.

This is an abridged translated version of del Techo's work. As stated in the translator's preface, the spiritual parts of the original text (miracles, religious teachings, etc.) have been omitted or condensed, with preference given to the more temporal aspects, "History, Description, strange Manners, Customs and Superstitions, Accidents, Discoveries, Conquests". Despite this abridgement, the activities and role of the Jesuits remain central to the text.

This is a heavy / high value volume and, as consequence, the shipping cost (using a tracked and signed for service) will be higher than the average quoted in my store listings.